The Art Society of The Lesser Known

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” – Andy Warhol

One of the greatest battles in my heart has been that of comparison. As an artist, I have always found it incredibly easy to compare my work to the apparent success of others. Yet, after all of that striving to be a “success”, what if I missed out on the beauty of the craft? What if success is relative?

When I was 17, I was part of a post-grunge band we called “Fuse”. We met at my friend Erik’s house on Saturday’s and rocked out for hours upon end. It was one of the most enjoyable seasons of my life! Jam, eat. Jam again, then listen to new band CD’s we bought that week. Then jam once more, followed by some Playstation therapy (yes, the original PS1; I’m old). Yet, even then, comparison was running through my veins. As the band’s vocalist, I struggled with how my voice didn’t sound like my heroes, such as Bono. Rather than accepting my unique voice for what it was, I constantly doubted whether people would ever love me as much as they loved Kurt Cobain (Rolling Stone did an article comparing the two of us once…in a dream I had one night in 2000).

What if we stopped comparing our art to the art of others? What if we began indulging in the pure bliss of art for art’s sake alone?

“You write because there’s fire in your bones. You’ve got to do this whether anybody ever reads it or not.” – Eugene Peterson

This quote popped up on Twitter one day and it hit me hard. First of all, I respect Eugene Peterson and his unique approach to literature, theology, and human thought. Second, he reminded me why I’m writing in the first place: because I must.

The human soul was created by the greatest Artist of all-time. If we are, indeed, created in His image, then we have creativity running through our veins.

In his book “The Artisan Soul”, Erwin McManus tackles this subject in much greater detail, discussing how everyone is an artist, even those who think that they are not creative. Read it. Trust me. Read it.

We. Must. CREATE!

Music, paintings, drawing, dance, drama, photography, and the like are no different than creating a thriving business, building a safe space for others to find healing, investing in the evolution of your family, etc…We are all creating something.

Your art doesn’t need to be recognized by the crowds to be “real art”. Art is. It simply is.

Fame does not determine legitimacy. Who cares if your art is different than the art of someone else? You were given your own voice; use it!

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Andrew Voigt is a writer and blogger discussing thoughts on God, dreams, and brokenness. He has served as a contributing writer for publications such as Patheos, Fathom Magazine, and Kingdom Spark. Andrew holds a B.S. in Communication Studies from Liberty University and lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife and orange cat named Pumpkin.